Publishing: Seeing things as they are

A few friends of mine are pinning their hopes on literary agents and traditional publishing contracts. Independent publishing is not for everyone so I don’t try hard to dissuade them. Traditional publishing is not for me, but people have their reasons. No need to rehash the why. Let’s delve deeper into building a better how.

If you go hunting for a contract with an agent or publisher, know the game and the real odds.

Many people call themselves agents. They are not all equal. Research them so you don’t waste time sending book proposals to people who do not have the connections and talents you require.

If you find the right person, make sure your work fits their submission guidelines.

Check out the agent’s social media presence. How do they talk about writers they reject? Is snark their brand? If they are obnoxious to those they turn away, they’ll eventually be obnoxious to you…

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3 comments

This is very well done. If you want to waste money get a publicist instead. Also it is fairly easy, by comparison, to get into a small press but that is like self-publishing without getting much money and having little power over your book. Most of the big publishing houses no longer hire editors, so you have to be really good at it or pay a lot for a good editor yourself. And very few pay advances anymore so there is really no good reason for having a publisher except for the status symbol which is tarnishing rapidly.

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